diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-coverage.yaml b/.github/workflows/code-coverage.yaml
index 8a7054763c5..a5a28e1fdef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-coverage.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-coverage.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index 7804cbe9423..c3601652607 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-on-pr-merge.yaml b/.github/workflows/deploy-on-pr-merge.yaml
index 11a60d440a6..44828163634 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-on-pr-merge.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-on-pr-merge.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
           server-id: 'matsim-releases'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-on-release-created.yaml b/.github/workflows/deploy-on-release-created.yaml
index ace4f1881fb..a490c614a91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-on-release-created.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-on-release-created.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
           server-id: matsim-releases
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-weekly.yaml b/.github/workflows/deploy-weekly.yaml
index 88e183083b7..f30f7371684 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-weekly.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-weekly.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
           server-id: 'matsim-releases'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/full-integration.yaml b/.github/workflows/full-integration.yaml
index e63fc75985b..a75ea5767da 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/full-integration.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/full-integration.yaml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-push.yaml b/.github/workflows/verify-push.yaml
index a0d383b992d..7ab2460ee61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify-push.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-push.yaml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{matrix.module != 'matsim' || steps.detect-changes.outputs.outside-contribs == 'true'}}
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'maven'
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 1251711bfa6..f7e3144e8b0 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     <properties>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
         <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
-        <maven.compiler.release>17</maven.compiler.release>
+        <maven.compiler.release>21</maven.compiler.release>
         <argLine></argLine>
 
         <log4j.version>2.23.0</log4j.version>